Capital Equipment News October 2021

MINING NEWS

Turnkey solutions for the valuation and disposal of repossessed equipment

Specialising in the import and export of mining and construction equipment, MHS Plant & Equipment of Midrand, Johannesburg, has an extensive international network covering Africa, Australia and the Americas. “We have 20 years’ experience in servicing international clients, from mining houses to contractors and civil contrac- tors,” comments owner and founder Conrad Smith. Apart from supplying both new and quality used equipment, the company also assist banks in both the valuation and disposal of any repossessed equipment, specialising in turnkey solutions for con- struction companies and mine closures. Explaining how such a typical pro- cess works, Smith says MHS is initially approached by a seller like a mine, whereupon it pays a visit to the client’s site in order to best understand its specific requirements. Here the client has the choice of opting for a physical inspection or a desktop valuation. An important first step is to request full information for each asset to be disposed of, including a component and maintenance history and the number of hours worked. The site visit involves physical inspection of the assets themselves, including veri- fication that the full inventory is account- ed for. Here meetings will be held with Since the Cat 794 AC electric drive truck debuted at MINExpo 2016, the global fleet has logged more than 780 000 hours of field operation, averaging physical availability of 90%. Offering up to 8% better payload and faster speed-on-grade, the 794 AC delivers up to 10% more productivity than competitive trucks. The 794 AC truck field fleet has tripled over the last two years to more than 150 units with the highest-hour truck logging more than 52 000 hours. They are working in coal and hard rock, deep pit and flat haul sites at low and high altitudes and oper- ating in poor underfoot conditions in nine countries covering four continents. In 2021, the Cat 794 AC returned to MINExpo, as the latest autonomous mining truck equipped with Cat MineStar Command for hauling, an autonomous hauling solution. The 794 AC is the first electric drive model to join the expanding Command for autono- mous haulage fleet, which includes the Cat 789D, 793D, 793F and 797F models. Autonomy is rapidly emerging in the mining industry as essential for improving

workshop managers, for example. In order to determine a fair market-related value for every asset, the fol- lowing important factors have to be taken into account: The supply and demand factor (the quan- tity of similar equipment available on the global market, which influences the value) and the actual replacement cost of the asset (the dollar-based value). Another important fac- tor is the build specifica-

MHS Plant & Equipment assists banks with the valuation and disposal of any repossessed equipment.

overall values. The final factor that influenc- es these values is, of course, the location. “We then take into consideration the cost of dismantling the asset and transporting it to the nearest port,” says Smith. “Once we have the above information, we give our clients a market-related value for their approval. After this we then ap- proach our extensive international client base to offer the said equipment. We also have the option of marketing the specific equipment to the specific region that we know where that particular asset is popu- lar and in demand,” concludes Smith. b

tion of the asset (different regions of the world have different requirements, with Africa, South America and Asia having lower-specified equipment. This includes the type of engine, which is important in terms of fuel quality and emissions control regulations. There is EPA certifi- cation in the US and CE certification in Europe. This is critical in determining in which areas or regions the equipment can be sold, and can often result in a higher value of the asset). MHS will research the current used asset availability worldwide in order to check the

Autonomous Cat 794 AC makes its MINExpo debut safety and productivity and lowering cost. The 794 AC, equipped with Command for hauling, enables total autono- mous operating of the mining trucks, interaction with other equipment, and integration

with customer mining process- es and systems, all managed by MineStar. A Caterpillar designed tech- nology, Command for hauling is a complete system integra- tion offered from the factory. The software, systems, indi- vidual components and engine

The 794 AC, equipped with Command for hauling, enables total autonomous operating of the mining trucks.

including labour shortages and the demand for higher machine utilisation. Autonomous trucks using Command for hauling recently surpassed 3-billion tonnes hauled with no lost-time injuries associated with automated truck operation, enhancing safety at the site. Command also supports the mine’s sustainability efforts through lessening infrastructure needs and reducing truck fuel burn, machine downtime and wear parts replacement. b

of the 794 AC are designed and supplied by Caterpillar and supported by the Cat dealer network. This integration ensures that the entire truck from body to bumper and engine to electronics can be fully optimized to deliv- er the lowest cost per ton. Demonstrating up to a 30% productivity improvement over operator-driven models at mine sites around the world, Com- mand addresses many mining challenges,

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS OCTOBER 2021 38